We are X!

old picture from flickr

I’m not really into visual rock at all but as I love chaotic cultural stuff and 90’s classic so much recently, that make me feel that I mustn’t miss the show, X Japan first show for their Europe and South America tour in London.

My Japanese flat mate T told me about their London show tickets sold out a while ago, so I didn’t imagine I would be able to see them and I didn’t try to look for any extra couldn’t-make-it ticket at all. As the date get closer T mentioned a few times he really wanted to be there, I encouraged him to look for extra ticket people posted on internet, even suggested to just go to the venue on that day to see if people sell ticket around (there are always random people selling extra tickets for higher price before shows start according to my experience). My passion grew as the date came closer, I found myself doing research 2 days before, shooting out emails and phone messages to ask about tickets but it all didn’t quite turn out.

I decided to get to the Shepherd Bush Empire, where the show took place on that day. I have to work at the internship place in day time so I suggested T to get there quite early to try his luck. The receptionist girl for the building at my work place happens to be a huge J-Rock fan, we became friend after we bumped into each other at the Mono gig I went 2 weeks ago. She told me that her friend were already at the venue, it was just 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I felt that I might not get any ticket at all. T texted me around 3pm saying that he had arrived at the place, and there were people at the door already, he warned me that it take some time to get there. I texted back saying that my work place is not that far away so no worries. All these texting got me really excited I began to worry about not able to get in.

I imagined T was trying hard to ask around for tickets while I trying to get jobs done as soon as possible. He texted me after a while asking me for phone numbers that sell extra tickets. There is actually one person that got back to me sounded very positive, but just having one ticket extra and with much more expensive price. I gave the number to T and prepared to look for another for myself. T texted back saying the ticket is now gone, he sounded depress: You got me a ticket but it’s now dead!

I got quite angry looking at that message. I texted him an angry one as well: Look, I have already tried my best, and i’m at work nothing much i can do now. You are the one at the place now you should try hard to look for ticket, please make some efforts! try hard! 2 tickets!!

Maybe I am the one who is too nervous about the tickets, I thought he was angry but actually he wasn’t, that's actually just the way he speak, as always. I felt bad a little since he didn’t text back at all afterwards. I finished work and then rushed to the place, I transited at wrong station and missed tube a few times since I am not familiar with west London at all.

I got a text from the guy who was selling ticket asking me to call him when I’m there, then I realize that he was reserving the ticket for me. I texted T saying that I got one ticket now please prepare £50 (face value £20). Since he is so desperate I decided for him that the price is worth it. He called me back immediately:“Zee, I got 2 tickets.”

He sounded very calm but I was nearly shouted out. He got the ticket for £40 each, that’s double of face value but I was happy enough, that none of us going to be left out, and it still £10 cheaper than the only one ticket I decided to get earlier.

When I got to the station looking at the area map, there are people looking at the map as well, everyone are trying to get to the venue. I finally saw a long queue from afar, I walked along the queue and then found out that the queue was surprisingly long. It wrapped around the whole block of shops and continued on to a residential area. People here were so chaotic and multinational, all kinds of skin colors and all kinds of languages, young and old, a lot of them dressed up in punk and gothic style.

I finally found T standing outside of a flat, I thought that is nearly end of the queue but when I looked behind, we were actually in the middle of the queue, that was impressive. A man came out from his flat looked at the queue shockingly and then can’t help to giggle a bit; a couple were taking picture of the queue from second floor. T told me he had already been there for 3 hours, I said well done to him and told him that now I could understand why he sounded calm, those waiting time he went through could kill all the excitement, and he hardly shows any excitement usually (except for one time I saw him jumping around when he was looking at some nice clothing in a shop).

We waited for another hour in the queue to get in, and then another 2 hours in the theatre until X finally turn up at the stage. We were checking the not too exciting supporting band, while drinking my pint of beer. There was a long break between the shows, I stared at the beautiful old interior and then the transparent drum set and piano Yoshiki owned, and then observed second floor and third floor people (we got the front section standing ticket, which were sold out quite immediately once it went on sale) people were shouting “We are! X!” altogether for a very long while.

I lost T when the show was about to start, front people were pushing and jumping violently. T manage to get to very front he told me afterwards, which made me feeling quite jealous. In the other hand, I enjoy being alone sometimes while watching gigs, I felt I could pay more attention to the music, so I was actually relieved that I was alone again.

The show was so great that I found myself looking at those visual rock fellows a lot now, studying their fashion and make up, looking at the intensive way they act. Love how Yoshiki proudly standing behind his transparent drum set, looking down at us imperially. Yoshiki’s piano and drum solo performing was stunning, Sugizo violin solo seriously took my breath away, that’s the part I enjoyed the most. Yoshiki act very femininely while speaking, it became normal for me now to look at feminine overdressed Japanese guy, just like T, it’s no longer weird for me the way they are, which T would hate to hear it since he always try so hard to be so weird.

I got a white X dragon T shirt of the tour, it’s the first band merchandising I got so far, love it's delicately cheesy but unique 90’s looking style.

(typing in a language that I’m not quite expertise, I might have put some efforts to explain myself more, it ended up this lot just for a story of grabbing leftover tickets, such an intense but totally satisfying day)